Drinking fountain



April 12 1927. 1,624,081

H. w. TAYLOR DRINKING FOUNTAIN Filed A1121. 14, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1927. Aprll 12 H. w. TAYLOR DRINKING FOUNTAIN Filed Aus. 14, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 nvemtoz H.W.' Tanon.

TFE. 5

PATENT OFFICE. j

ALSEY W. TAYLOR, F WARREN, OHIO.

DRINKING FOUNTAI'N.

i Application filed August 14, 1922. Serial No. 581,650.

This invention relates to an improvement in drinking fountains, and the main object of the invention is to provide a simple and effective means for automatically regulating s-,a-.iiuctuatin supply of water so as to produce a stea vy and uniform discharge of the water and a stable drinking column of fixed shape. rlhis automatic regulator is further incorporated as a part of a combined suplo ply and drain fitting for a drinking fountain bowl, all as hereinafter shown and described and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the annexed, drawings, Fig. 1 is a top 15 view of a drinking fountain bowl embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is avertical section centrally of said bowl and the supply and` drain fitting therein. Fig. 3, is a horizontal section on line A3---3 of Fig. 2, and

2o Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view online 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the floating plunger or balance Yweight, and Fig. 6 is a side view of the bent or relief member without said plunger or weight. 25 Fig. 7 is a cross section of the supply fitting on line 7 7 of Fig. 3. Fig. 8 ,is a diagram showing the working action of the automatic regulator.

The invention comprises a drinking founro tain bowl or basin 2 havin a round boss 3 at its bottom side and a [cdrain opening 4 extending through this boss. An annular seat 5 within the bowl and boss supports a perforated drain plate 6 having a hollow central protuberance 7'which may be of hexagonal shape externally to permit a wrench to .be applied thereto from the inside of the 'bowl or basin.

Protuberance 7 has a shallow chamber 8 formed in its upper end by a cross wall 9 which has a screw-threaded intake opening at its center communicating with this chamber, and a series of vertical outlet ducts 10 pass downwardly from chamber 8 into a concaved discharge space 11 which is borderedfby' a downwardly-extending fiange or skirting 12. The circle of drain openings 13' in plate 6 are located between this ski-rting and the rounded seating edge 14 of the plate, and all the water discharged into the bowl or basin passes freely `through the drain plate into the hollow enlargement 15 of a Ycombined supplyand discharge fittin 16 which isv clamped to the bottom side of oss 3. A sealing washer or rubber asket 17 is interposed between boss 3 an the fiat seat 18 at the upper end of fitting 16, and clamping of the parts of the bowl or basin is effected by rotating drain plate 6 and screwing it over the upper screw-threaded end of a vertical nipple or extension 19 centrally affixed within the fitting in open communication with a central supply space 20. Two parallel channels 21 and 22 respectively of different length extend through a lateral arm or branch 23 of the fitting and open into space 20, the longer channel 2l having a water supply connection 24 at the bottom side of its extremity, and the shorter channel having a vertical outletvat the top side of the fitting in the form of a coupling enlargement or bell 25 which is of sufficient lengthy to permit its engagement with the bottom. side of the bowl, using a rubberv washer or gasket 26 to promote sealingat .the joint when clamping is effected through the medium of the stream delivering and formin member 27. Thus, member 27 has a reduceiscrew-threa'ded shank 28 adapted to screw-engage coupling bell 25 in clamping the fitting upon the bowl, and the head of member 27 is hollow Vand provided with two angula-rly-related openin s 28 and 29 which converge to e'ect a con uence of two small jets. of water within the bowl above a perother taps permit thewithdrawal of' water at other places in the same supply line. Excess pressure can be guarded against by placing a :regulating valve at some place in the supply line, and in thepresent fitting l employ for that purpose a small regulating screw "31 which passes upwardly through arm 23 intochannel 21 to restrict in greater or lesser degree the flow of water passing into the fitting and out of the nozzle or deliver member. But such a regulator in itseldoes not effectively guard againstfluctuations in the supply and a changing drinking stream or column; therefore I have provided a floating weight or plunger 32 which is constantly exposed to the water on the pressure or supply side of the fitting and which is adapted to open and close a vent or relief orifice 33 particularly arranged to overflow or discharge into the drain side of the fitting. Plunger 32 is solid and cylindrical and seated to move freely within the upper end of the tubular extension or nipple 19, its upward movement being limited however, kby tlie closed top of chamber 8. This plunger has a semisplierical or rounded projection 34: at its bottom side which is adapted to partially protrude into the round vent orifice or outlet 33 in the transverse division Wall of nipple 19 and to seat upon the circular edge of this vent orifice opposite a series of escape openings 36 in the side of the nipple. The bottom side of the plunger surrounding the base of rounded projection 34 is also expressly shaped to utilize the escaping water in the most effective way to hold the plunger in a state of suspension and equipoise while the water is escaping. In other words, the bottom side of the plunger is slightly dished or channeled on a straight flaring line 37 from the base of the projection to the outer bottom edge of the plunger so that thewater in jetting from the vent orifice will strike the beveled surface 37 surrounding the projections and op. eratey to lift ,and uphold the plunger before being deflected outwardly and downwardly,

into and through the side openings 36. In operation this plunger serves as a gravity valve to ykeep the vent orifice closedv or nearly closed While the pressure or flow of Water is normal, or -say as fixed by the regulating screw 31, but when the supply fluctuates and the pressure or volume of water is in excess of the needs or tends to elongate the arched drinking stream, relief is immediately afforded by uplift of the plunger until normality of the supply is again established. l also find that a fiat-bottomed plunger will Work yfairly well but not as sensitively or surely as the plunger described, the conditions of test being equal.

The upper end of nipple 19 is slotted to4 permit the escape of p water passing upwardly around the plunger, especially in the event that drain plate 6 is screwed down until the top of protuberance 7 engages the upper end of nipple 19. A second regulating screw 38 may also be employed to restrict the flow of water passing through channel 22, and this screw is preferably' located at the upper side of the fitting closely adjacent nipple 19 where it will be covered and concealed by drain plate 6 but nevertheless accessible for adjustment vwhen4 said plate is removed.l

What I claim, is:

1 A method of producing uniformity of delivery in a drinkin stream projected at an angle to the vertical under uctuating conditions-in the water supply, which conf ing a supply passage,

sists in regulating the amount of water dowing through a' delivery nozzle to maintain a predetermined minimum pressure to produce an arched drinking stream of substantial hei ht, and in venting a part of the supply un er a constant counter-pressure extraneous of the water supply to compensate fluctuations above said predetermined minimum pressure in the Water supply.

2. A drinking fountain, comprising a Water supply fitting having a discharge nozzle adapted to deliver a constant stream of Water at an inclination to the perpendicular, and a Water venting device on the intake side of said nozzle, having a Water balancing weight constantly exposed to the flowing water escaping at said venting device so as to produce a steady drinking column of `fixed shape regardless of fluctuations -in the supp A drinking fountain, comprising a water supply fitting adapted to discharge a constantly flowing stream of water in arched drinking-column formation, having a regulating valve 'in the water supply line adapted to restrict the flow of water passing through the fitting, in combination with water venting means open to the said supply line having a water balancing member constantly exposed to the water passing therethrough and arranged to maintain the arched drinking column in fixed shape during fluctuations in the supply.

4. In a drinking fountain, a tting having a drain opening and a supply passage, a perforated plate covering said opening, and a water balancing member positioned under said plate i'n discharge communication with said drain opening.

5. In-a drinking fountain, a supply tting having a drain opening and a supply passage, a erforated drain plate for mid opening, an a restricted venting device for said supply passag having a water balancing weight in the 'ne-of communication between said suppl passage and drain opemng.

6. In a drinking fountain, a. supply ttmg having a drain o enng .and a supply passage, `a perforate plate opposite said opening and a water balancing weightbeneath said plate in constantly open communication with said supply opening.

7. In tion of bowl having a drain opening, wi a nozzle discharge member and a fitting hava nipple in communication with said supply passage havinga restricted opening discharging into drain opening, and a loose 'plunger within said nipple 1n vconstant exposure to the water passing through said passage.

' 8. A supply ing fountain, comprising ahollow bodyr having a vertical' 'drain outlet and a horizontal passage and drainv said\ and drain fitting for a drink- I `list terminal for the supply outlet adjacent said supply passage provided with a relief nipple opening into said drain outlet, an automatic valve within said relief nipple, and a drain plate connected with said nipple adapted to clamp said fitting to a basin.

9. A supply and drain fittin for a drinkin fountain havin a vertical rain passage, a at seat surroun ing the upper end of said drain passage, a supply passage extending into said drain passage, a relief nip le open to said supply passage and exten ing up-l wardly through the center of said seat, a relief valve within said nipple, and a drain plate adjustahly connected with said nipple and covering said valve. i

10. A supply and drain fitting for a drinking fountain, having a vertical drain portion and a.' lateral branch provided with intake and outlet supply passages, said drain portion having an annular seating surface at lts top and ksaid branch having a coupling seating surface.

11. A supply and drain fitting for a drinking fountain, comprising a hollow body having a lateral branch provided with parallel supply passages communicating with each other centrally within said body and terminating at their outer ends in an inlet and outlet, respectively, antubular member eX- ten g centrali upward from said body and open to sai supply passages having a relief orifice and side escape openings, a plunger loosely seated-within said tubular mem er opposite said orifice, a drain and clamping plate connected with the upper end of said tubular member and a delivery nozzle connected with the supply outlet.

12. In a drinking fountain, the combination of. a bowl having a drain opening, with a delivery drinking-stream fitting having a supply passage, Aa drain plate for said opening, a venting nipple opento said supply passage beneath said plate, means'associated with said supply passage adapted to regulate the amount of water passing therethrough, and a weight positioned opposite said venting nipple adapted to automatically regulate the velocity of water discharged from said fitting.

13. In a drinking fountain, the combination of a 'bowl having a drain opening, with a delivery nozzle and fitting supply passage, a drain plate for said opening, a venting nipple secured to said fitting aving a restricted outlet, and a loose plunger opposite said outlet having a rounded central portion and a depending skirt adapted to defiect the water issuing from said outlet and tovbalance the outflow of the water from the nozzle under fluctuating water supply conditions.

14. 1n a drinking fountain, the combinationof a bowlhavmg a drain opening and a supply passage, with a nozzle adapted to deliver an arched drinking stream, a tubular nipple open to said supply passage provided with a vent opening, a gravity member mounted upon said nipple movably opposite said vent opening, said member being pro` vided with a rounded bottom and an inclined skirt surrounding said rounded bottom against which the vented water is directed, said member being arranged and adapted to stabilize the drinking stream during fluctuation ofthe water supply.

In testimony whereof, I aiiix my signature to this specification.` V y HALSEY w. TAYLOR.

having a water 

